I'm a Survivor
by marauderzoe
Summary: "I thought I was a goner there for a second. I still have unfinished business." 500 years of solitude, Katherine doesn't take over Elena's body. She has another plan that will wind up getting her killed. But you never know, she might come back alive. After all, she's Katherine Pierce, she survives.
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE

So, it's been almost a year since 500 years of solitude aired and I still feel like the ending could've been different. That's why I decided to write my own. It will probably be a two shot. Here's the first part. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading.

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><p>"Wow, you really don't want to die, do you? I swear I just heard your heart stop." "Where am I?" Katherine asked, feeling disoriented. Hadn't she been in the Salvatore living room, seconds ago? "Still alive, sadly." "I thought I was a goner there for a second. I still have unfinished business." Katherine's mind was reeling. There was no way that she was going to die like this. "So do I." Katherine looked at Elena and raised a brow. This should be interesting. "I had this whole speech that I was preparing to give your unconscious body." "Let me guess: hate, loathe, screw you, die bitch, good riddance?" Elena fidgeted. Katherine bit back a smile. "Yes, but, there's one more thing: I forgive you." "You what?" Katherine blurted out, unable to bite back her surprise. After everything that she'd done to the girl with the same face, Elena decided to forgive her. No way that this was how her life was going to end. "I forgive you… You weren't born evil. Life made you that way… You lost everyone that you cared about way too young and you didn't have a family that looked after you. Sound familiar?" Katherine sighed. "Is this the 'we're not so different, you and I' doppelganger speech, because I'd be happy to skip it. Besides, we all know I'm the pretty one." Elena actually rolled her eyes at this. "I'll save it for the funeral we probably won't have for you." "Perfect." Katherine said through clenched teeth. "I just wanted to get the forgiveness part out. It's a part of me that I never want to lose." "Good for you." Katherine got up from the bed, finding strength that she didn't knew she still possessed. If Elena was going to hold on to her forgiving self, Katherine wasn't going to die in a bed in the Salvatore home. She was going to go give a certain someone a piece of her mind. Or several someone's. She should've done this sooner, but the ticking clock made it all the more dramatic. "What are you doing?" Elena asked as Katherine made her way to the door. "Like I said, I have unfinished business." And with that she walked out the door, dialling the number of a witch who owed her a favour.<p>

"What the hell?" Damon said when he saw Katherine walking down the stairs. "Don't look so surprised Damon, I'm Katherine Pierce, I survive." "How?" Katherine smiled. "I have been around for five hundred years, I've me a lot of different people. I called in a favour." She didn't mention that it was only on borrowed time. The witch was able to keep her around for another week, tops. And as an added bonus, Katherine was looking like her eighteen year old self. If her plan didn't work she'd be dead within the week. It was worth it, though. She just needed one little thing. "Barbie, heard you got lost in the woods." Katherine said with a little wink. Caroline was looking absolutely mortified. "How?... When? It was nothing." The blonde stuttered, falling over her words. "I just need you to help a dying girl out." Before anyone had the chance to say anything, Nadia Petrova walked in the house, looking furious. "Why didn't you go through with it?" Nadia asked, skipping to Bulgarian. "I couldn't." Katherine replied in her mother tongue. Her daughter glared at her. "Why couldn't you give me this? You say you care about me, but you couldn't take Elena's life? Why?" All eyes were looking at the two Petrova woman. "She forgave me, okay? The mighty Katerina Petrova couldn't take away her doppelganger's life because, as much as I hate to admit it, Elena and I do have some things in common. I was her age when everything that I cared about was taken away. It was a moment of weakness." "A moment of weakness? We could've had more time." Katherine looked at her daughter. "I'm sorry I didn't take possession of my doppelganger's body, a girl fated to live the same life I've endured. I'm sorry, Nadia. But I've had a lot of time to think." Damn Elijah and his morals. Damn him for making her rethink her decision. She cursed him for not letting her just take over Elena's life and live with her daughter. To finally get her happy ending. She cursed the self-righteous prick. He was not going to get off so easy. "You suddenly care about her? I thought Katherine Pierce was above that." "Things change. Besides, I came up with a plan, sort of. It may or may not work. If it works, we'll have all the time in the world, if it doesn't, well, at least you'll be able to lead your life instead of looking for a mother who doesn't deserve you." Nadia stared at Katherine. "Fine." Nadia finally said. Katherine looked at her daughter in wonder. "We should get going, then. You only have a couple of days and it's a long drive." Katherine looked at Caroline. It would be so much easier if the baby vampire went with them. Caroline sighed. "Fine. But if this is one of your games, I'll kill you myself." "Care, you can't be serious? You owe her nothing." Elena said as she glared at Katherine. "I know, but it's my choice." Katherine smiled, knowing that she had won. Then she looked at all the people standing there. "Well, this is the last you'll see of the great Katherine Pierce. Goodbye. I'll see you on the Other Side, Bonnie." Or not. Katherine silently hoped.

She slid in the passenger seat next to her daughter. "You don't have to this, you know." Katherine said as Nadia sat down next to her. "I know. But after five hundred years, I'm going to make the most of the time that has been given. You were right when you said that I gave up my life. I guess it can wait a couple of days more." "Thank you." It was one of the most sincere thing Katherine had said in her entire life. "Okay, so where are we going?" Stefan said as he got in the backseat next to Caroline. "You weren't invited." Katherine said. "You think I'm going to let my best friend take off with you and your daughter? I'm sorry, but I don't trust you Petrova's at all." Katherine rolled her eyes, but didn't argue any further. "Fine." She sighed and Nadia took off.

They'd been on the road for a couple of hours. She still hadn't told Stefan and Caroline where they were going and they hadn't brought it up again. Nadia pulled over. "You should get something to eat." Nadia said, while getting out of the car. "You haven't told me what your plan is exactly." Katherine followed her daughter down the store, grabbing some very unhealthy snacks, not caring about the fat it contained. It felt nice to converse in her mother tongue again. It had been so long since Katherine had used it, she was surprised how easily it came to her. "So far, I've tried ingesting vampire blood, but it didn't work because of the cure." "You're going to the source." Katherine smiled. "Exactly, my daughter. Maybe the blood from an Original might do the trick." "And that's why you're only doing this now, you've exhausted every other option. You're going to die anyway, so why not take the leap."

Caroline and Stefan had remained in the car. "What happened in the woods, Care?" Stefan asked Caroline when they were alone. "Nothing. What do you think Katherine's planning?" "Maybe she knows a witch that can help her out? Honestly, I've long given up trying to figure out how the mind of Katherine Pierce operates." "Is it weird for me to feel a bit bad. Especially since she just got to know her daughter. It's kind of sad." Caroline wondered out loud. "It is sad. But it's Katherine's own choices that led her here. I feel sorry for Nadia. She never deserved any of this." "You think that, if Katherine had found Nadia in Bulgaria, you know, she would've been different. Kinder, gentler?" Caroline couldn't help but wonder whether Katherine could be nice. There must be something good left in Katherine, right? "It's possible. Nadia seems to bring out a different, more sincere and motherly side of Katherine."

"Nadia…" Katherine said hesitantly. "I don't want you anywhere near the Originals, okay? Even when I'm dead, there's a chance that they might kill you because you are my daughter." "So I can be your driver, but I can't be there with you to know whether your plan worked? I don't get to meet the person who's responsible for killing my family? Or the man that you have loved for five hundred years?" "No, you don't get to do that." "I'd love to see you stop me." Nadia said as she opened the door and got back in the car. "Listen to me, Nadia Petrova, you will not be entering the French Quarter. You'll stay out of it." When Nadia didn't respond she added. "That's an order, young lady. This is not what your life should have been like. You deserve better." Katherine said in as much of motherly authority as she could manage. Nadia turned to look at Katherine. Katherine glared at her daughter. Finally, Nadia accepted defeat.

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><p>Next stop: New Orleans<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I had originally planned on doing a twoshot, but then the story started to get a life of its own and well, this is the result.

Thanks for reading and I hope you like it :)

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><p>"New Orleans." Caroline shrieked as she saw the board. "I thought you'd be more excited, Barbie. Stefan, I need you to stay with Nadia while Caroline and I go talk to the Mikaelsons." "You're leaving me with a babysitter?" Nadia asked, it was clear that she still wasn't pleased. "Yes. That way, Caroline will be able to call Stefan and you'll know whether it worked or not." "What are you planning?" "I have some unfinished business. It's about time I gave those ruddy Mikaelsons a piece of my mind without having to fear for my life. I'm already dying." Nadia pulled over. "Be a good girl, please." Katherine said and she gave her daughter a kiss on her forehead. Katherine got out of the car and grabbed her purse. "Wait." Nadia said in Bulgarian and followed Katherine out of the car. "Let me talk to Elijah first." Katherine looked at her daughter in question. "I'll tell him the same story I told you when we first met. I'll see what he knows. Maybe he didn't know you were dying." "I like the way you think. This is how it's going to be. I'll postpone my visit for another day. You get to talk to Elijah, find out whether he knew I was dead or not. By tomorrow, I'm expecting you to be on a plane to Bulgaria." "Why?" Nadia exclaimed. "Because, if I survive, I'll meet you there. If I die, you'll bury me there. Stefan and Caroline will bring the body there." "You better not die on me." Nadia said before turning back to the car. "Any idea where to start looking?" Nadia asked. "Try Rousseau's. If not, look for Marcel Gérard. He knows what's going on in the quarter." Then Katherine turned to Stefan. "You better make sure she's out of town by morning, Stefan. I'm counting on you." Stefan nodded once. Katherine turned back to "Come on Blondie, the city awaits." It was early evening when they had finally arrived.<p>

She and Caroline were walking around the French Quarter. This wasn't Katherine's first time in New Orleans. She still knew her way around here. "I might kill you, you know?" "You'll get an opportunity for that later." Caroline stopped in her tracks. "Excuse me?" "Look, I'm not just here to give your boyfriend a piece of my mind and to yell at Elijah for not showing up on my deathbed. I'm also here for what is probably the most desperate attempt to save my life and to become a vampire again." Caroline just stared at Katherine. She should've known. She should've seen something like this coming. This was Katherine fucking Pierce. Evil mastermind. She cursed herself for her stupidity.

"I can't believe that I've agreed to this." "That's because you're too nice. You do all of this shit for other people, people that don't always deserve it, and you never ask anything in return. I know you feel conflicted about Klaus, but in all honesty, don't." "How do you even know about that?" Katherine smiled at Caroline. "You ought to be more careful when you're out in the woods, Care. To be out in the open like that, anyone could pass by and overhear." "Nadia?" "What can I say, she's my daughter after all." Katherine said proudly. "I thought you hated Klaus." "I don't hate him. Not anymore." "Since when?" Katherine was looking around the quarter, she was starving. She walked towards an Italian place that seemed cosy. "Elena said something very interesting to me yesterday. She forgave me, saying that life made me to who I am today."

The waiter came and offered them a table. They sat down and ordered some drinks. "So what, you suddenly forgive Klaus?" "I don't know, I haven't got that far. But I have spent five hundred years running from that man, I know him. I know what he's capable of. And yet here I am, setting foot in his city." "He could just kill you, you know." Caroline said just as a waiter came to get their order. Katherine ordered some starters and the lasagne while Caroline opted for the pasta carbonara. "Why do you think I brought you along?" "I'm not.." But Katherine cut her off. "You're only going to be a little blonde distraction, Care. And all I need you to do is remind Klaus that I'll be dead within the week. And after I ingest Elijah's blood you get to kill me."

Caroline had just taken a sip of her glass of wine and almost spit it out in Katherine's face. Almost. "You're actually serious? Katherine, you can't ingest vampire blood. This plan is never going to work." "I'm Katherine Pierce. And while this may not be one of my best plans, it's my last. Think of this as plan Z. The worst that could happen is that I die. The best is that I come back as a vampire. So far, I haven't been able to ingest your vampire blood. I'm going straight to the source and I'm using another bloodline, too." "Are you just going to ask Elijah? And what are you going to do after you've ingested his blood and have me kill you? You think Klaus is going to let you leave?" Katherine regarded Caroline for a moment.

Apparently the blonde vampire wasn't just good at planning homecoming and decade dances. There was a lot more to Caroline. It amused Katherine to a certain extent. It was quite obvious that the blonde's talents were underrated by her friends. Katherine even dared to think that had they included Caroline in their plans more often, they might've actually accomplished something. "What has got you so amused?" Caroline asked, noticing the look in Katherine's eyes.

"I may have underestimated you, Caroline Forbes. There's a lot more to you than just the annoyingly perky, bubbly blonde." Caroline was taken aback by Katherine's words. "Thanks?" "Promise me one thing. Even if I kick the bucket, permanently, get out of that town. Mystic Falls isn't enough for you. You should go and see the world. It's full of surprises." Finally the food arrived and Katherine dug in. "Klaus said something similar to me, you know. He's offered to take me to Rome, Paris, Tokyo." She always wondered whether there was a softer, sensitive side to him. Elijah seemed to believe that there was something worth to redeem, to salvage. "What's stopping you?" "It's Klaus." Katherine laughed out loud at that.

"I've done a lot of terrible things, one of them was robbing you of your human life. You may like who you are now, but I didn't give you a choice. And yet, after everything I've done, here you are. Having dinner with the girl that suffocated you with a pillow. Somehow, you manage to believe that there is still something good in everyone. Klaus loves you. He may not realise it yet, but there is a reason why he keeps coming back to you. For a thousand years, that man has lived in shadow and darkness. Elijah has tried to pull him out, has tried to guide him towards the light, he tried to show his brother that he could be redeemed, that he wasn't worthless. And Elijah has failed over and over again. You know why? Because instead of telling Klaus to stick it, Elijah stood by his side and let his brother tyrannise his life. Elijah let Klaus rule and dictate his own life. He let Klaus roam around, letting him be all powerful and controlling. And then you came along. You didn't take Klaus' crap. You stand up to him. You're a challenge, a riddle he can't quite solve. You're everything that he is not. You're hopeful, shiny, optimistic. You're not bitter from the passing of time, you don't have centuries of self-loathing and insecurities weighing you down. You're not broken, only bruised. You're compassionate and kind, selfless and sincere. He needs you, more than he cares to admit. And as much as you hate to admit it, you need him."

"When did you become an expert in the matters of Klaus' psyche?" "Like I said, I spent five hundred years running from Klaus. In order to be two steps ahead, you need to know your enemy. You'd be surprised about what people are willing to tell you when you push them the right way. Besides, you're forgetting that I've also been with Elijah." "From what I gathered, you and Elijah weren't together that long." Caroline blurted out. "Five hundred years, Caroline. That's how long Elijah and I have known one another." The main dish was brought in and both girls were lost in thought.

Caroline cursed herself and her lack of control over the things she said. It had been a weird couple of days. She hadn't expected to ever have a conversation about her and Klaus. At least not without being judged and yelled at for her stupidity. But then there was Katherine, who didn't judge. It was actually nice for a change. God, Care, get it together. You have friends, good friends. Friends that don't kill you, that care about you and that are supporting you. That last thing wasn't entirely true. She would be lying if at times, she felt like her input was being dismissed. Or that she was occasionally left out of the loop. She'd like to pretend that it she didn't care and she knew that they were not doing it on purpose, but it stung.

And the fact that Katherine Pierce of all the people in the world was encouraging to get out there, to leave and explore, well, frankly, it left her a bit confused. It was weird how the two people that were supposed to be all bad and terrible were the ones telling her that she deserved more. Stefan was there of course, he supported her, but she knew that she'd always come second to Elena. Caroline realised that she didn't want to be someone's second. Klaus put her first. Where had that thought come from? Tyler had too, a small voice in the back of her mind said. But she knew that she was lying to herself. It had been quite some time since Tyler had put her first.

Damn it, she deserved more. And she hated herself for it. She hated herself for the truth. Because in all honesty, she sometimes wanted to throw all of her plans out of the door and just see the world. She wanted to show up at Klaus' door, taking him up on the offer of showing her the world. And maybe it was selfish of her, but she wanted to be someone's number one.

Katherine was thinking back on her five hundreds year on the run. She looked at the blonde vampire sitting across from her. At least Caroline wouldn't have the same faith as her. She wondered whether the baby vampire would be able to remain her bubbly, optimistic, goody-two shoes self. Katherine hoped so. The world could use more people like Caroline. A person that genuinely believed that people could be saved and that the world wasn't that fucked up. That true love conquered all. Katherine had learnt better. She was a far cry from the girl sitting in a garden in England, talking to Elijah about love. What a fool she had been. Yet, that day had marked the beginning of their game. Even after five hundred years, it wasn't over. He was supposed to catch her.

"What was it like?" Caroline found herself asking the brunette. "What was what like?" "Living for five hundred years. Becoming who you are now? Seeing the world change? I just can't really imagine it, you know." Caroline explained. "I've never given it much thought. I just did what I had to do to survive. It's only in retrospect you piece everything together. It's not like the world changed overnight. Sure, a lot is different from when I had been young, but it was gradual. I don't really know how to explain to you what it is like to live for five hundred years. You meet a lot of people and in my case, you make some enemies. You learn a lot about the world and about people in general. You got time to just sit back and waste the day away. You have an eternity, right? There are a lot of good things that have come from it. You don't have to worry about an aging body. You can get whatever you want, whenever you want. You get to see kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall. You just have a lot of time to see the world and experience all it has to offer. But, it can get lonely sometimes. It's hard to find people who can relate, that you can actually talk to. As you noticed, I'm not exactly the kind of person who's surrounded by loving friends. And on my dead bed, I get a hybrid, coming to gloat over a corpse to be, instead of his brother." "I'm sorry." Katherine shrugged. "Don't be. It's just, after everything, I'd hoped he'd be there. That was our thing." "Your thing?" A sly smile tugged around Katherine's lips. "He was supposed to catch me." "He didn't do a very good job, did he?" "That depends on how you play the game." Katherine got up and went to settle the bill. Then she headed outside. Caroline followed.

"I thought you were here to talk to the Originals." "The night is young, Care. Besides I haven't fully answered your question." Katherine stepped inside a bakery that was still open and bought a large chocolate cake. Then she guided Caroline towards an old looking building, located in the heart of the French Quarter. They wound up in a small two bedroom apartment. "Where are we?" Caroline asked, standing at the door. "My apartment in this city." Katherine looked at Caroline for a moment before realising that she was human now. "Sorry, forgot. Please, come in." "How long has this been in your possession?" The furniture appeared to be relatively new. Caroline wondered when Katherine had been here last. "For quite some time. I was here last year, looking for someone to help me get rid of Klaus. You probably know her. Hayley." Caroline huffed at the name.

"Unfortunately. Wait, she was working for you?" "I needed someone on the inside. Turns out the little wolf can't be trusted. Though, I'm not sure how long she will survive after I spill her dirty little secrets." "She's in New Orleans?" "The wolf grew up here, she's part of the Crescent Moon clan or something like that, they're like royalty in the werewolf circles. Unfortunately for her, her bloodline is pretty much bled dry. But enough about her. It's story time." Katherine had been roaming around her kitchen, trying to find a bottle of wine she knew she had stashed there. She finally found the bottle and after rinsing two wineglasses and two forks she went to sit at her table. Caroline followed suit.

Katherine uncorked the bottle and poured them both a glass. Then she took the cake and handed Caroline a fork.

"It's been five hundred years, and even with everything I've learnt, I like to believe that what Elijah and I have or had, was epic. Spanning continents and centuries, lives ruined, bloodshed. Epic. Tragic. Whatever you want to call it."

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Nadia made her way to the French Quarter, looking for a bar called Rousseau's. Stefan followed from a distance. It would be suspicious if Nadia and Stefan were spotted together, considering the history between Stefan and Katherine and the fact that Katherine had supposedly died in Mystic Falls.

Nadia entered the bar. There were a lot of people gathered there, including vampires. She didn't worry about them though. She was a five hundred year old vampire, she could take most of them. She looked around, hoping to spot Elijah. Nadia had observed him from a distance before, but had never approached him. Just like her mother, Nadia valued her life and would go to great lengths to survive. It happened to be her lucky night, because somewhere in a corner, the noble Original was having a drink. Nadia tried to muster up as much of the Petrova spirit that she had and sat down opposite the Original.

Elijah was conflicted. He knew he should've gone to see Katerina, that he had owed her that. He owed them that. But he couldn't. Saying goodbye would've meant that he caught her. And then their game would've been over. Five hundred years, five hundred years he had spent chasing that woman, that goddamned creature that had captured his heart and soul. His Katerina, his darling Katerina. And now she was gone. Forever. He didn't look up when someone sat down in front of him. It was probably Rebekah, telling him to get over it. But she didn't know. She didn't know what had truly happened between them. Yet no words came. After five minutes of silence he looked up. He was met by a vampire. She had long brown curly hair and big brown eyes. She seemed strangely familiar, yet he couldn't recall ever seeing her before. Elijah had originally planned on dismissing her, but he was intrigued by the young woman. "Good evening. May I offer you a drink?" The girl nodded, but didn't say anything yet. He signalled a waiter.

Her mother had been right, he had manners. And he did look great in a suit. She wondered what had initially drawn Katerina Petrova to Elijah Mikaelson. Nadia didn't glance at the waiter when he came to take the order. "Vodka cola." She said studying the eldest living original. After all these years, she finally got to meet one of the legendary Originals. They had always held a certain allure. But of all of them, this was the man she most wanted to meet. The man that had known her mother like no other. Not that Katherine had elaborated much on the subject. She knew that over the course of five hundred years, her mother and Elijah had come together several times and that every time, Elijah chose his family over Katherine. But still, faith kept throwing them together.

"I'm Elijah Mikaelson, but I'm sure you already know that. What can I help you with, miss?" The girl had a strange look in her eyes. She had been studying him for over a minute now, but Elijah didn't mind. It was obvious that the vampire was curious about him. Of course, he and his siblings had rather made a name for himself. He wondered why she was here. "My name is Nadia. I am looking for the person that killed my mother." Elijah noticed the accent. Eastern Europe. She hadn't been in the States for long, then. "If it is my brother, I'm afraid I can't help you. Klaus will do as he pleases and no one will stop him. It would be foolish to try. He would kill you on the spot."

Nadia smiled. As if she would be that stupid. "It was Paris, 1645. A girl was looking for shelter, my mother let her in. When some people came looking for her, she told them that it was my mother they wanted. The woman escaped. Years later, I turned myself into a vampire to hunt her down. I've heard that you know her." Elijah was surprised. The girl was a lot older then he had guessed. He had been in Paris that year. And so was a certain someone else. "You're looking for Katerina Petrova." "Yes." Nadia said. Now was the moment of truth. Katherine had said that in order to know how to proceed, it might help to find out whether Elijah was aware of Katherine's current status of being dead. Or dying anyway. It might change on how her mother would ask for her (former?) lover's blood. Elijah didn't know what to do. He was just about to rob this girl of whatever revenge she might want. "I'm sorry to inform you that she is dead." Zadnik, Nadia silently cursed. How could he do this to his Katerina? And now she was the one who had to tell her mother that the man she loved, hadn't wanted to come say goodbye. Zadnik.

Elijah saw the turmoil in Nadia's eyes. He could only imagine what it must be like for the girl. Spending centuries of her immortal life, looking to avenge her mother, only to find out that the murderer was dead. "Did she suffer?" Nadia asked. Elijah wondered whether he should tell her the truth. After all these years, someone owed her that. "She took the cure for vampirism. The only one in existence. She became a human, but her years caught up to her. Katherine died of old age."

Nadia heard the strain in Elijah's voice. Maybe he did regret not saying goodbye. "Did you know her well?" "I met Katerina Petrova when she had still been a human. I knew her as a vampire." "What happened to her? She came to our home, my mother offered her a place to stay. And how did Katherine repay her? By sacrificing my mother so she could escape." It was the same lie she'd told Katerina when they had first met. And yet, there was a grain of truth in it. The night her mother, the human Katerina, had hung herself, something was taken from her. Maybe that Katerina from five hundred years ago still existed, but it was hidden beneath five hundred years of solitude. "Nadia, I'm sorry for what Katerina did. She has been known to place her own survival above that of anyone else." "Sorry doesn't give me back my mother." Nadia spit out. And she meant it. After five hundred years, she found her mother, just to lose her again? It was easier to blame the Original. If he hadn't met her mother, his lovely Katerina, maybe Nadia and her mother would've been together. Maybe Katherine would've found her sooner and they'd have a life together. They would've been humans, she'd have a normal childhood a normal life. And they would've been happy. She would've known that her mother loved her. No five hundred years of endless searching, of disappointment. Just one human life with a loving mother. And now, all she had was a couple of weeks. It wasn't enough time. She didn't get to know her mother. And it was so unfair. This man sitting opposite her had five hundred years, five hundred years he could've spend with Katerina. But instead, he walked away.

Elijah didn't know what to tell this girl. He felt the urge to console her, to tell her that her mother didn't die for nothing. But he couldn't. Instead, he found himself telling Nadia about the woman that ripped her mother away from her.

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><p>What did you think? Did you like it?<p>

Did anyone catch the line from Veronica Mars?

Thanks for reading


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**First of all, I'm so so so terribly sorry for the delay. I'm a bad person, I know. So sorry to keep you waiting. I've just been real busy with school and with some other stories. I kind of let this one slide. Sorry about that.**

**But, I give you a new chapter. I don't know when I'll upload the next one, still haven't got anything written down. I'll try my best not to keep you waiting for two months or so.**

**And if there are mistakes, I apologise: English isn't my maternal language and I also wanted to post it asap :) **

**I'd like to thank the reviewers, LiasonAddekKalijahFan, Ghostwriter, Gemenigurl89, TwilightCr8zed and Guest24. Thanks for the positive feedback :) and KalijahFan, there is Stebekah interaction, but I haven't figured out where to go with that: could be either friendship or more, I'll leave it up to the readers to decide. I just want Stefan and Rebekah to be happy, they deserve it **

**Anyways, enough apologising and rambling, I'll just leave you to the story. **

**Thanks for reading**

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><p>"Like I said, I met Katerina when she had still been a human. As you may have heard, my brother had been cursed and Katerina Petrova's blood held the power to break the curse. It was by chance that I encountered her." Elijah thought back on their first meeting. He remembered seeing her face and the surprise that had overcome him. Never had he imagined to be seeing that face again. She had looked so much like Tatia, but then again, she was so different. There had been that mischievous look in her eyes, even then. Elijah had recovered swiftly and had done what was expected of him. It was only later he regretted it. He told this girl about the human Katerina. About the girl she had been, about her hopes and her optimism. He owed it to Nadia, to her mother. And Nadia listened. She listened as Elijah talked about her mother when she'd still been a human. It was nice to hear about it, to know that once upon a time, Katherine hadn't been who she was now. She realised that Elijah had truly loved her mother. Maybe there was hope. Maybe there was a chance for Nadia to have the family she always wanted.<p>

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Stefan walked around New Orleans. It hadn't been that long since he'd been here. He wondered what Nadia and Elijah were discussing, or where Caroline and Katherine were at. He'd walked in about a half hour after Nadia, only to realise that they were going to be having a rather long conversation. She wasn't at any risk and Stefan headed back out. He opted to have a drink in the bar across the street.

Stefan just hoped he wouldn't run into an Original. The bartender put a glass of bourbon in front of him. "You're new in town." A girl said. "What gave it away?" She gave him a small smile. "This bar is mostly filled with the local population and a lot of regulars. You don't really seem to fit in and I never saw you here before. So, are you just passing through or are you staying?" "I'm not sure yet." He might stay, or he might leave. One thing was certain, he wouldn't be going back to Mystic Falls anytime soon. Elena had made her choice and he didn't want to deal with the problems back there. Besides, the whole doppelganger/destiny thing was a bit too much to handle. Maybe it was time to let Elena go. "I'm Cami, by the way." "Stefan." He said with a small smile. "Welcome to New Orleans. So, what brought you here?" That was an excellent question. "I needed a change of scenery. I've just lost someone that I cared about."

"Please tell me you're not here to mourn the recently departed Petrova bitch." Rebekah said. She was already annoyed by the fact that her brother was talking to some girl at Rousseau's, about none other than the infamous Katherine Pierce. And here was Stefan Salvatore, nursing some bourbon and talking to Cami. "Shouldn't you be at Rousseau's?" Rebekah glared at the blonde. "I have a night off." Cami said defensively. Stefan sighed and cursed his luck. "She may have been a manipulative bitch who turned my life upside down, it doesn't take away the fact that I did love her once." "That's a nice way to put it." Rebekah sat down next to Stefan. "You two know each other?" Cami asked, looking between Rebekah and Stefan. "We met in the twenties." Rebekah said. Stefan was surprised by Rebekah's bluntness. "Another vampire. Do you know the others?" "Unfortunately." This earned him an elbow in his side by Rebekah. "You're lucky to still be alive, Salvatore. So, why are you here?"

Stefan had been expecting this question. "I'm taking some time off. Damon got the girl, Katherine's dead and I really don't feel like being in Mystic Falls. So, I decided to head out. Somehow I would up her. I need some fun. Maybe my subconscious propelled me towards New Orleans, knowing exactly who was here." Rebekah cocked an eyebrow at Stefan. "So Elena and you are finally over and done with?" "I'm done with doppelgangers, done with destiny. Turns out our love was just a shadow cast by Amara's and Silas' true love." Rebekah didn't fully understand, so Stefan explained the entire Silas-Amara-Qetsiya story.

"You spent three months drowning, over and over again?" Rebekah asked in disbelief once Stefan had explained everything. "And now our town's crawling with Travelers, needing doppelganger blood for some weird magic. But I have decided to not mess up my superhero hair anymore."

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"Hold up, you got a five hundred year old Original vampire to run after a human you, as in like a game to catch you, and he was actually enjoying it?" Caroline asked in surprise. Katherine had started telling her about her time in England back in 1492. "That I did. He didn't catch me, that day. Just like he still hasn't caught me now. That was our game." "Seriously, how much of a game is that? He's just supposed to catch you?" Caroline was confused. She found it hard to imagine Elijah having fun, like regular old fun. And especially with something as childish as that. But looking at Katherine, it became clear that this was something that had a very special meaning to Katherine. "I told him that he was supposed to catch me. And he told me that it would mean that the game is over. I guess somehow, that is how it went with us." "Up until now, he still hasn't caught you. He refuses to end this five hundred year old game. That's actually sweet, in a certain way. So what happened after? Did Klaus find you?" Katherine thought back to that day, sitting on that bench, talking about love. "I was so naive back then. Trevor was completely in love with me. I didn't entirely feel the same way, especially not when I was sitting on that bench with Elijah. There was something about the way he looked at me. It was as if he could look right into my soul. We talked about love. About the fact that Klaus was courting me and I realised that he did not care for me at all. Elijah said something about how many unions had been built upon less. But I told him that I wanted more. That true love was only real when it was returned. Elijah was looking out into the distance when I said that. He had this sad look in his eyes, as if he was remembering something long past. Then he looked me in the eyes and told me that he didn't believe in love. The naive Katerina found it too sad to accept that and stated that life is too cruel and if we cease to believe in love, why live at all. A small smile had graced Elijah's lips. Of course, it was that moment that Klaus chose to show up. He'd had a very long night, probably killed half a village because they had angered him or something. I went with him, leaving Elijah behind. But I couldn't stop myself from looking back. Our eyes met and I knew, I was in love." Caroline listened as Katherine told her how she fell in love with the older Mikaelson. It almost seemed like a fairytale, if you take away the fact that Katherine was going to get sacrificed and that the others were vampires. It was interesting to hear the brunette's story. Caroline realised that Katherine hadn't always been the manipulative bitch she was now. She'd had a chance for true love, but Klaus had taken that away. Caroline started to understand why Katherine was the person she was now, and she admired the doppelganger as well.

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"I asked my brother to spare her life. Somewhere along the way, I had fallen for Katerina Petrova. Of course, Niklaus refused. Love is a vampire's greatest weakness, we do not care and we do not feel. I couldn't save her. But of course, she was Katerina, she survived. She somehow found a way to become a vampire and to run. I promised my brother I would find her and bring her back to him. It is a promise I never kept. She had somehow found her way into my heart and I couldn't stand the fact of ruining her life even more than I already had. So I went searching for her and I found her, many times over. I knew I was supposed to catch her, but then the game would've been over." Nadia looked at the Original vampire in disbelief. A love like that, shouldn't have gone to waste. And yet it had, but then again, maybe it hadn't. She remembered her mother saying something about a game, how he had never caught her. Nadia had first believed that it was in the literal sense, but she started to realise that it had an entirely different meaning.

"Please, stop me if you do not want to hear more. I realise that you may not want to learn more about the woman that killed your mother." Elijah realised that he had got lost in the past, in the memories of his beloved Katerina. But the girl didn't seem to mind. "No, please. I'd be nice knowing that my mother hasn't died for nothing. That maybe, just maybe, Katerina Petrova deserved to live her five hundred years." Elijah wondered whether this young woman might be able to forgive Katerina for the pain she had caused her. "She was so young when the people she cared about were taken from her. Did you know she had a daughter? She once told me about the biggest regret she'd always have. It was for not fighting hard enough for her daughter. Katerina hoped that her daughter had the life she deserved and that she would've been spared the cruelty of her family's faith. That her daughter could live the fruitful and joyous life she had wanted for herself."

A tear threatened to fall from Nadia's eye, but she was able to stop it just in time. So her mother hadn't forgotten her. Unfortunately, it hadn't turned out the way Katerina had wanted, they did get to meet. And that was worth something, if not everything. Because now Nadia knew that her mother cared, even if she hadn't really got the chance to show it. "Did she ever found out what happened to her daughter?" Nadia asked Elijah. He shook his head. "She went back to Bulgaria, looking for her daughter, but she has never found her. Katerina took that as a good thing, that at least, her daughter would be safe from Klaus' wrath. I never told my brother of her daughter, even though it would've hardly mattered, because when Katherine had told me about it, her daughter would've been long gone."

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Katherine took another sip of her wine. It felt nice to get it all out. Caroline was a good listener. If she were to survive this crazy plan Z, she might remain in contact with the blonde baby vampire. Even if that meant having to take Klaus with it. Of course, this all implied that she would survive. And that included more than become a vampire again. She would confront Klaus first, giving him a piece of her mind, Caroline would be there to keep him from killing her, though she doubted that he would want her to live. After that, she'd talk to Elijah. Find a way to get his blood, have Caroline kill her and hopefully come back a vampire. And then, somehow, find a way to convince Klaus to let her go peacefully. There's a reason why she brought Caroline. And she still had a couple of secrets up her sleeve. She helped herself to some more cake before continuing her story.

"After I'd turned myself into a vampire, I went back to Bulgaria, trying to find my family. Klaus had killed them. I fled, knowing that Klaus wouldn't stop looking for me. I went back once, a couple of years after, to find my daughter. But Nadia was nowhere to be found. I wanted to turn it off, to shut off my humanity. But I didn't. I realised that it wouldn't make things better. Sure, I wouldn't feel or care, but I held on to my hatred. It fuelled me, it pushed me onwards and helped me to survive. Klaus may believe that love is a vampire's greatest weakness, I'm going to stay with humanity. It's a fickle thing, this humanity switch. I learnt how to perfect it, how to make the best use of it. And instead of having my humanity control me, I controlled my humanity. Of course, I didn't get to learn all of this by myself. I had help from a very unexpected figure. Mikael."

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><p>Me again :)<p>

So, Mikael. What are your thoughts? I love Mikael, if only because it's Sebastian Roche who portrays the character. Stefan had Lexi to teach him, Caroline in turn had Stefan, Damon had Sage (sort of), so I just felt like Katherine needed a mentor as well. And why not Mikael. She won't know that he's the father of the Originals.

I'll apologise again for leaving you hanging. I'm so sorry. I know that agony of having to wait for the next chapter, so I understand your pain and I will do my utter best to get a new chapter done soon.

Thanks for reading and review are always appreciated. Also, suggestions are welcome. I've got 500 years to cover, if there's a certain place you want them to meet at or something else, let me know. If I like it and can fit it into the story, I'll add it :)

Lovies,

Zoë


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